Every once in a while, one stumbles across a film with the fundamental power to change how they think and perceive the world, a film which alters the very concept of how one behaves, and acts. For me, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is one such film. It's emotional, profound, and meaningful, without feeling pretentious. It says so much about how the world operates: about the artificiality and contrived nature of life as royalty, about The Chessmaster and being a victim to their control, and about the joys and wonder of growing up In Harmony With Nature. Most of all, about how there are many ups and downs in life, and how one should stay for these downs, dealing with them day after day if it means that, one day in the distant future, they will be able to experience pure happiness at the possibility of being reunited with a previously loved one. These themes aren't just surface level, either; the film explores their implications, and expands on them instead of them being present as Oscar Bait token messages. It leaves so much to take away, information which can change one's attitude towards live, and give negative events in their live a new light.
However, themes aren't the only things on offer here. The film is perfect in its ability to make you feel almost every emotion possible. It puts you perfectly in the head of the titular Princess Kaguya, and you get to experience everything she feels right alongside her: of the charm and novelty of being a toddler, of the wonders and joy of growing up in the natural world, and the gripping dread and anger of your life being ripped away in front of your eyes. Just like other Ghibli productions, it's an immersive experience, one that pulls you into the world and never lets go. The usual slice of life elements from other Ghibli films are still present, and the film frequently lingers on distant shots of the beautifully drawn landscape or on shots of the nature and the wildlife. These are shots that are noticeably absent in animation: after all, animation is expensive, and artists wish to use their limited budget all on shots which advance the story in some way. In doing this, however, the artists sacrifice world-building, leading to a world which seems spectacular and marvelous, but is lacking in depth. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya manages to fit in both an engaging narrative and immersive world building into a film. These small scenes utterly pull me into its world, convincing me that it's like reality, and never lets go.
Once it does this, it combines elements of animation which can never work in live action. Its use of colour is immersive, and beautifully conveys the mood of a scene. Its minimalistic art style reminiscent of ancient paintings is both beautiful to look at and creative, leading to moments where it fully utilises Ghibli's talented animation division, along with its five billion yen budget. These scenes, such as the scene where Princess Kaguya runs away from the capital, and almost every second of the last twenty minutes, are absolutely fantastic to look at. Animation is used in ways to create visuals that can never be done in live action, combining the freedom of animation along with the immersive nature of live action to form something truly special, helped along by its excellent soundtrack by the legendary Joe Hisaishi.
Of course, there is no film which is perfect for everyone, and this is no exception. The film is quite slow paced, and its lack of action may bore some viewers. It suffers from pacing issues, and around ten minutes of the film can be cut out without audiences losing too much. Its messages may be missed due to their subtlety. In the worst cases, the film leaves behind a boring and dull memory, but I reckon it's worth giving the film a shot.